Definition

Noun 1. Rectified ethyl alcohol: A highly purified form of ethanol, typically produced by repeated distillation. Historically, this term referred to the concentrated, distilled essence or "spirit" obtained from wine.

Usage

• The term 'spirits of wine' is an archaic or historical name for what is now commonly called pure ethanol or ethyl alcohol.
• It is used to specify alcohol that has been distilled to a high concentration, separating it from the water and other components of fermented wine.

Examples

• In the 18th century, alchemists often used spirits of wine as a solvent in their experiments.
• The old medical text recommended cleaning the wound with spirits of wine to prevent infection.
• The recipe for the historical varnish called for spirits of wine as its base.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase can be found in historical documents, antique recipes, and old scientific literature. In modern contexts, the terms "ethanol," "ethyl alcohol," or simply "pure alcohol" are universally preferred.

Variants and Related Words

• Ethanol (n): The systematic chemical name for the same compound (C₂H₅OH).
• Ethyl alcohol (n): A synonym for ethanol.
• Rectified spirit (n): A closely related modern term for ethanol that has been purified by distillation.

Synonyms

• Ethanol
• Ethyl alcohol
• Pure alcohol
• Grain alcohol (when derived from fermented grains instead of wine)

Notes

• 'Spirits of wine' is not a phrasal verb or an idiom. It is a fixed noun phrase.
• The word 'spirits' in this context derives from alchemy and early chemistry, meaning the volatile or essential principle of a substance extracted by distillation (e.g., for hydrochloric acid). It is not related to supernatural beings.

Noun

1. rectified ethyl alcohol